The present invention relates to an air intake filter for an internal combustion engine comprising a filter insert disposed in a canister which has a raw air inlet and an opening for the introduction of the filter insert, the filter insert having a sealing surface parallel to the plane of the opening, an adapter having a sealing surface arranged opposite the sealing surface on the filter insert, a gasket interposed between the two sealing surfaces, and means for fastening the canister to the adapter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,000 discloses an air filter for air intake filtration, comprising a substantially cylindrical canister having a raw air inlet disposed tangentially on the canister plus a filter insert through which the air flows radially. The canister itself can be connected by means of a bayonet coupling to a cylindrically shaped air intake manifold. In this air intake manifold there is a safety cartridge which is intended to prevent dirt and dust from entering the air intake when the filter insert is replaced. When the bayonet coupling is locked, a seal is created between the safety cartridge and the filter insert by shifting the filter insert axially toward the safety cartridge such that the end face of the filter insert contacts the end face of the safety cartridge. This axial shift is performed with an adjusting screw disposed on the front wall of the canister, which imparts an axial movement to the end plate of the filter insert. One disadvantage of this known system is that there must be a very large amount of free space around the canister for insertion and removal of the filter insert. First, in order to release the bayonet lock, a certain amount of axial movement must be possible. Second, the necessary turning of the adjusting screw for the axial displacement of the filter insert is possible only if there is sufficient space in the vicinity of this adjusting screw to operate it manually. This air intake filter construction is therefore not suitable where space is at a premium.